from the poem “i am the wordsmith by blackstarr © 2008

freerealm@gmail.com

copyright 2009 freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

M.I.A. is too good a term for my lack of postings.  That term, for me, brings back thoughts of heroes who disappeared while stationed in Vietnam.  I’m no hero but I was, indeed, missing . . . for quite some time.  I won’t say that I’m back, but, rather, making my presence known and alerting the world that I am still here and very much alive.

There was another incident that kept me off the electronic highway – my DSL went down for over a week!  As it turned out, my modem was bad.  VERIZON sent me another one poste-haste and after connecting it, my DSL was still down.  Of course while all of this is going on, keep in mind that I was back and forth with customer service (yes – I use the term very lightly).  Each and every rep with whom I spoke was extremely “English challenged”, to coin a phrase.  The “final” outcome was that there was a problem on my line.  Now, I retired from VERIZON when I was a service tech (one who installs and repairs telephone service for a living), and I assure you that there was no problem on my line.  After a few days, I was told that there was a problem in the office, not my line.  I don’t have a video phone but I can say with certainty that both a Black man and an Hispanic man called me to say that there was no trouble in the office.  The real problem was that the modem that I was sent was very new and quite complicated to configure.  They told me what to ask for when I next called for technical assistance.  When I called, I asked for the very same – to no avail.  I called the Hispanic gent back and told him of my quandary and he said that he could do nothing to help me as he was not trained in that capacity.  He was, however, very gracious in transferring me to the Black gent with whom I had spoken earlier.  He took about ten minutes of my time telling me what to do and, voila, my DSL was back up and working.  I was extremely pleased that my problem had been solved, but, I think that I was more impressed by having two gents  assist me who spoke fluent English!

That is when my “mobile troubles” began.  TWITTER is nothing more than time wasted foolishly.  It is not productive, is non-utilitarian, and the same results can be accomplished by already existing entities.  However – non-productive, non-utilitarian, and redundancy is exactly what I’ve been looking for – blind indulgence, if you will.  Ever since my DSL went down, I have not been able to log in to my mobile TWITTER account.  I accomplished that feat yesterday while inside. next to my PC and was whistling Dixie when it happened.  However, once back outside and in the public arena, I could not log in with my cell phone.  I was distressed once again.  I tweeted last night that I hope to have a decent cell phone by the end of the week and all of my “tweet” troubles will be behind me.  We shall see.

I also spent a lot – no wait – an extreme amount of time playing a MMORPG (Massively Multi-playing Online Role Play Game) entitled EVONY (which can be found at evony.com).  It is a game that combines a sim-type game, a role-play game, and a war game for an exciting and time-consuming experience.  I won’t even go into details as I could go on for forever about the game, but, if you have the time and patience and don’t mind becoming addictive to yet another distraction, head to the site and let the fun begin.  I know – I’ve already said it, but, let me reiterate – extremely addictive!

My e-troubles brought up an interesting thought:  why is it that when our technological toys are not responding properly, we lose our minds?  I love the time spent with my children.  I bike ride with my best bud just about every weekend and it brings on hours of fun and conversation.  I can go for days without turning on the TV, radio, or my MP3 player.  Yet, when the internet and all of its wealth of information becomes unavailable, I swear that I just about lose it.  It’s almost like my world has come to an end.  Sad, indeed.  I’m not (all that) embarrassed to let you know that I am a somewhat fan of  The View (on ABC).  Believe it or not, I can’t take my eyes off of Whoopi and Sherri.  Yeah – sue me.  At any rate, I quote their motto that is used at the end of each show: “Take some time to enjoy the view”.  Peace.

copyright © 2009 freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

“It’s A Beautiful Morning” by Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati

“It’s A Beautiful Morning” by The Wipe Outs

i am the wordsmith

i am the wordsmith,

the thought weaver,

the literary sculptist.

i am the master of word manipulation.

I am the witch doctor

of the spoken word.

i work my magic

in an unconventional style,

just to see you smile.

i invoke the magic

of an ordinary word.

i am the voodoo priest of language,

performing literary incantations.

i sprinkle recherché gems

into your ears,

hypnotizing,

mesmerizing,

thoughts and words

that keep you fantasizing.

i am the accumulator of words,

the collector of thoughts,

the purveyor of rhythmic chant.

i bring nuance to the monotone.

i am off the beaten path,

light years from the mundane,

miles away from boring lane.

i formulate complexities

from the simplest of thoughts.

i bring you something new

that you’ve never heard,

and give new meaning to the word “word”.

i am the wordsmith,

the thought weaver,

the literary sculptist.

i am the master of word manipulation.

copyright  2008  blackstarr

open mike night at the coffee shop slash cyber bar(and you with a front-row seat)

sister naomi

was loud and clear.

she blasphemed your yesterdays,

cursed your tomorrows,

laughed at your pathetic, whiny sorrows.

she wanted you to hear

what was relevant for today,

and demanded that you hear what she had to say.

she shouted obscene truths,

confronted all of the lies,

then, dubbed you foolishly wise.

she chastised, demoralized,

then insincerely apologized.

sister naomi was loud and clear.

. . . they extrapolate on love, hate and rage,

as spoken word blasts like a 12-guage,

and with a grateful bow, they exit the stage.

black wonder

was loud and clear.

he called you “dear”.

a red-hot, burning flame who

sashayed, and swayed, and played

upon your fears.

he told you that

his sexual preference was contagious,

and all the while, outrageous

rantings of equality filled the air.

he shrieked and freaked you out,

hoped you knew that it was all about

the sapien having always been homo,

about union for all, rights for all,

about “hetero thinking” about to take a fall.

black wonder was loud and clear.

. . . they extrapolate on love, hate and rage,

as spoken word blasts like a 12-guage,

and with a grateful bow, they exit the stage.

the smoking gunn

were loud and clear.

they echoed off of each other’s

individual vibration,

words flowing in syncopation.

they spoke of conspiracies

both hidden and clear,

about wars on a new frontier.

they spoke solo,

then duo,

then back to a trio,

sneering at the so-called neo.

they hissed their poison at right-wing status quos,

and scoffed at their erstwhile political foes.

the smoking gunn were loud and clear.

. . . they extrapolate on love, hate and rage,

as spoken word blasts like a 12-guage,

and with a grateful bow, they exit the stage.

copyright 2008 blackstarr

I had the pleasure of visiting The Unmitigated Word for a post concerning the piracy taking place in Somalia (see Defending yarrrrr-self?).  The discussion was, as usual, both lively and heated.  While the author did not endorse these acts of piracy, the post was basically questioning whether “these acts of piracy could be chalked up to self-defense”.  As the discussion went back and forth, the idea was presented that perhaps we should be “examining the “why”; the circumstances contributing to those tragedies is just as important as casting blame and pointing fingers”.  As a result of that discussion, I have reprinted a post from 2007 regarding the real story of “Black Haw Down”, and addressing one particular reason for “examining the ‘why’”.

*******************************************

Black Hawk Down!

Do a search for Somalia, July 12, 1993, and you will certainly find quite a bit of information available. Most of the information will give a brief summary of what took place that day in Somalia. The most (so-called) significant information that is placed in the forefront is that the U.S. fired upon a house which was to have been occupied by the one person they so desperately sought. In the forefront, you will read that, afterward, five (5) journalists went in to investigate and were killed. Always associated with that story, you will read that several months later a Black Hawk was down, downed by the leader that the U.S. had so desperately sought. The one thing that most reports fail to include is that the targeted house which the U.S. destroyed, housed not the enemy that was being sought: The house contained more than fifty (50) of the clan elders from Somalia, the eldest and most respected in their community. Ironically, they were gathered together to discuss a plan to stop the fighting and bloodshed. When the day was done, they all lay dead.

It never fails to bring a tear to my eye when I read that yet another U.S. soldier has been killed. The tears formed in the seventies, during the Vietnam War. They formed in the eighties during the fighting in Grenada. Finally, they formed again in the nineties, when I read the headlines “Black Hawk Down!”. Unfortunately, as with most of the media, reports about what happens on any given day, highlight one aspect of a story, and downplay some very significant part of what really took place. July 12, 1993 was one such rearranging of the facts. Five (5) reporters were killed because a few moments earlier, Somalia’s most revered leaders were blasted to smithereens without provocation. Later that year, a “Black Hawk was down” because the U.S. had launched an attack on those who were trying to put an end to that very same type of action. General Thomas Montgomery (ret), who was in charge of operations that day, was interviewed by PBS’s FRONTLINE, regarding the events of that fateful day. He would not state that there were leaders left dead in the house. He danced around the issue by saying “When the soldiers got in the building, there were either dead or wounded . . .”.

Before there was a Black Hawk down, more than fifty (50) of Somalia’s leaders lay dead.

*****************************************

Please note that after the building was bombed, four (4) Western journalists, including the renown Daniel  Eldon, entered the building and were killed by “an angry mob”.  This was at the top of the headlines for more than a week or so.  What was left out was that the elders of Somalia had been killed just moments before while attending a peaceful meeting.  As suggested at The Unmitigated Word, perhaps we should learn to take a closer look and understand the “why”.

copyright  ©  2007, 2009  freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

copyright  ©  freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

Tobacco Road by Lou Rawls

Richard Poplawski is a white Amerikkkan who killed three (3) Pittsburgh policemen on Saturday, April 4, 2009.  After a four-hour stand-off, he was taken into custody.  Let me say that again, in a different manner, so that you will fully comprehend:  he shot and killed three (3) policeman and was taken into custody.  When I heard the story and the outcome, I didn’t even have to wonder – I knew that he was white.  A man shot and killed three (3) policemen, and was taken into custody.  My bad – a WHITE man shot and killed three (3) policemen, and was taken into custody. Alive.  Not dead – alive!!  Only in Amerikkka!!!

copyright  ©  2009  freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

Biko by Peter Gabriel

UPDATE: Hindsight is 20/20 – more appropriately -

I Shot The Sheriff by Bob Marley

“Dog Man X’ is what it stands for, and when they “let the dogs out”, Earl Simmons was there.  His music  began to climb the charts with the release of “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot” (1998), which included “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”.  The CD sold more than four (4) million copies.  He was immediately compared to the inimitable Tupac (by all but yours truly – no one . . . we’ll tackle that some other time), even to the point of his early arrests and most notably, being accused of raping a stripper.  DNA evidence later cleared him of the rape charges.

The hits kept coming, and his popularity continued to rise.  “Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood” was released in the same year and it went three (3) times platinum.  He became the second rapper to have two (2) albums released the same year and have them both debut at number one.  Oh, btw – the first to do it was Tupac.

Now – try to keep up, please:

” . . . And Then There Was X” (1999) debuted at number one (his 3rd straight CD to do so).  It went six (6) times platinum!!!  It was, most certainly, his best selling CD.

“The Great Depression” (2001) debuted at the top of the charts.  It quickly gained platinum status and was not only his 4th CD to debut at number one, but his 4th straight CD to do so!

“Grand Champ” (2003) became his 5th straight CD to debut at number one on the charts.  With the advent of this CD, he made history: the ONLY artist to ever have five CD’s debut at number one!  His next CD, “Year Of The Dog . . . Again” (2006) missed being number one by a mere few thousand sales.

DMX has more arrests on the books than Carter has little liver pills.  That is usually the only impetus that a rapper needs to boost record sales.  If that theory held true, then DMX should still be “alive and well” in the music business and still kickin’ some mad a$$.  Not so.  Two (2) CD’s, “Walk With Me Now” and “Fly With Me Later” were slated to be released in the latter part of 2008.  They got pushed back, scheduled for release in 2009 along with a  . . . get this  . . . gospel CD!! So . . . where did the dog man go wrong?  Beats me.  What I do know is that, in my book, he should be listed alongside the others in “Where Are They Now?” (besides incarcerated, that is).  I sadly witness his fade to black and say “OK, then, bye-bye.” Peace.

copyright  ©  2009  freedom

freerealm@gmail.com

“Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” by DMX (explicit lyrics)